Etheridge is something of a whinging girlie man. According to the Raleigh News Observer, outside groups spent $360,000 to defeat Etheridge. As the incumbent, however, Etheridge was able to raise more than a million dollars to fund his campaign. As of the last campaign finance report before the election, Ellmers had raised half that amount. In fact, Etheridge outspent Ellmers something like 3:1.

Etheridge stumped for the Democrats’ $825 billion dollar “stimulus” slush fund and voted in favor of Obamacare. The case of Bob Etheridge provides a textbook example of a congressman who lost his race on the merits.